Dundee Official Charged With Selling Town-Owned Property

Tony Cooley, streets and parks superintendent for Dundee, has been charged with selling a piece of equipment that belonged to the town.

By PHIL ATTINGERLEDGER MEDIA GROUP

DUNDEE | The Dundee superintendent for streets and parks has been charged with selling a piece of equipment that belonged to the town.Polk County sheriff's deputies received reports that Tony Cooley was trying to sell or trade a Miller 225G welder/generator on the Southern Airboat Classifieds web page under the user name "tc320."According to arrest reports, it was being offered in trade for items including a 13-foot hull airboat and trailer or a four-wheel all-terrain vehicle.Reports state Dundee Town Manager Andy Stewart was able to identify the welder immediately from photographs and "was genuinely surprised" to find out it was for sale.The website said the piece of equipment had only "428 hours on it, runs great" and came complete with all of the wire, leads and gas hose needed to use it.Stewart told deputies Cooley had told him the welder was broken and needed repairs. So Stewart told Cooley to offer it to a local contractor, Davy L. Rodgers, reports said.Rodgers had been hired by the city to help build the town's new public works facility and move equipment to it from the old facility, reports said.Stewart told deputies there is no policy for discarding town property, but he had made the decision to offer the welder to Rodgers because the town received a "good deal for his services," reports said.Rodgers said he was never offered the welder.Rodgers told deputies he stored the welder at his property for three weeks, then helped Cooley load the equipment for transfer, but that was the last he saw of it.However, Cooley told deputies that he did offer the welder to Rodgers and that Rodgers agreed to take it, reports said.Cooley said that three weeks later, he was talking to Rodgers, asked about the welder and learned Rodgers didn't want it anymore, reports said.Cooley said Rodgers agreed to give him the welder, reports state, so Cooley loaded it on his trailer and took it.According to reports, Cooley told deputies he sold it for $1,200 and didn't think he was selling town property because its owner, Rodgers, gave it to him.Deputies estimated a new welder would cost $5,010. Rodgers said the town's welder was worth $2,500 to $3,500.Cooley was booked into the Polk County Jail on March 26 on charges of dealing in stolen property, a second-degree felony, and grand theft, a third-degree felony.